Candidates for mayor of Rostov-on-Don enter the battle for votes Seven registered candidates for mayor of Rostov-on-Don are just beginning a serious campaign, but it is already clear that the current mayoral elections, scheduled for December 19, have every chance of becoming the most acute and tense in the entire post-Soviet history of the southern Russian capital.

Dual power in Abkhazia may continue after the inauguration Today the Abkhaz opposition intends to liberate the complex of administrative buildings that it stormed on November 12. “We’ll hand them over to the police,” Sergei Bagapsh, who considers himself the winner of the October presidential elections in Abkhazia, told Vremya Novostey.

Vyacheslav Fetisov met the attack of the heads of sports federations in a new capacity Despite criticism from the heads of sports federations, Vyacheslav Fetisov’s department has been upgraded in status. The other day, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree providing for the division of the Federal Agency for Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism into two departments: the Federal Agency for Tourism and the Federal Agency for Physical Culture and Sports.

The tour of the Shota Rustaveli Theater begins This time Robert Sturua will present two performances to Muscovites: today and tomorrow on the stage of the Film Actor's Theater - "Hamlet", on Thursday and Friday - "Styx".

The Supreme Court requires not to forget about freedom of speech when considering cases of protection of business honor In the new year, the Russian press will receive a serious tool in the fight against offended officials and businessmen who are trying to recover compensation from the media for damage allegedly caused to their business reputation.

Can Russian television be public? In October, at the height of tensions between Russia and Georgia, a group of Moscow journalists flew to Tbilisi to meet with the Georgian president and prime minister.

An auction for the sale of Yuganskneftegaz has been announced The Yukos case is reaching a turning point. Last Friday, the Russian Federal Property Fund (RFFI) announced that on December 19 there will be an auction for the sale of the disgraced holding's main production subsidiary, Yuganskneftegaz. The state intends to sell all ordinary shares of the enterprise at open auction - this is 76.79% of the votes.

Passenger plane crashes in a park in Baotou Yesterday morning, a passenger plane flying to Shanghai crashed near the Chinese city of Baotou in Inner Mongolia. There were 47 passengers and six crew members on board. They all died. The plane crashed into a lake in Nanhai Park, 2 km from the airport runway. The weather was clear and frosty, and the lake was already covered with ice. The plane's wreckage demolished the ticket office at the main entrance, killing an old man who worked in the park.

Director Govorukhin staged a play by critic Moskvina Last year, Tatyana Moskvina sent her play “Pas de deux” to the “Characters” drama competition launched by the “School of Modern Play”. Both the competition itself and its name were invented by Joseph Raikhelgauz, artistic director of the School of Modern Play theater. As the struggle for existence progressed, the competition acquired an impressive list of founders and an even more impressive general sponsor - RAO UES of Russia.

CLUBS Branis McKenzie (vocals), Oleg Butman (drums), Nick Lazarev (bass), Ivan Formakovsky (piano). November 22 and 23 at Le Club , 20.00. Berl, Shmerl & sons (Russia - Germany). A project by musicians from the band Klezmasters and Psoy Korolenko. “OGI Project” , 22.00. Film Dance Festival .

Public figures want to control television. But they can't The social responsibility of modern Russian television in the face of society is becoming an increasingly pressing topic, apparently due to the growing commercial success of the main television channels. Many people want to put a barrier in the way of these grandiose advertising media with government subsidies. Last week there was a discussion on the topic “Public councils on television - from destruction to creation.

Republican congressmen disobeyed President Bush Reform of American intelligence has stalled. On Saturday, a group of prominent Republicans in the US House of Representatives blocked the passage of the necessary legislation. It was prepared on the basis of the report of the commission that investigated the circumstances of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Today, immediately after participating in the APEC summit in Chile, Vladimir Putin arrived in Brazil on an official visit. This is the first visit of a Russian head of state to this largest country in South America in the 176-year history of Russian-Brazilian diplomatic relations. The President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA, spoke to INTERFAX correspondent Olga GOLOVANOVA about the prospects for cooperation especially for Vremya Novostey.

Gazprom's profit has halved in six months The financial results of the Gazprom group for the second quarter of 2004, by international standards, turned out to be worse than the most pessimistic forecasts. Despite the consistently good external environment and a significant increase in domestic gas prices, Gazprom financiers reported an almost twofold decrease in net profit - up to $800 million - compared to the data for the second quarter of 2003.

The Russian president was greeted warmer in Chile than the American one The APEC summit that ended yesterday in Santiago became the first foreign business trip for re-elected US President George W. Bush. And in the Chilean capital he was greeted with dignity: with thousands of anti-globalization demonstrations, hundreds of mocking portraits of the US President, slogans like “death to Bush.” The official part of the events was not without incidents.